


Pulling a Rabbit out of the Hat

by Unanee



Category: D.Gray-man
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fluff and Drama, M/M, Street & Stage Magic, inaccurate science
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-22
Updated: 2017-04-22
Packaged: 2018-10-22 19:06:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10703220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Unanee/pseuds/Unanee
Summary: Lavi doesn't understand why people are so excited about this magician called Allen. Sure, the man is good with his hands and his tricks are flamboyant, but that doesn't make him anything more than an illusionist. Real magic does not exist. Lavi is determined to prove his point, and he keeps on interrupting the show until Allen's patience runs out.





	Pulling a Rabbit out of the Hat

**Author's Note:**

> Hi fellow fans! This fic was written for lovely Errantknightess (Tumblr), for Laven Spring Gift Exchange 2017. Her prompt asked for an AU with Allen as a street magician and Lavi as a sceptic audience member, who gets called out to participate in a trick to shut him up. Tried my best to keep it as fluffy as possible but couldn't help slipping in some drama. Hope you find this longish piece to your liking--it's my first one-shot...and it demonstrates really well why I usually plan my fics as multiple chapters. Still, I had great fun writing this and challenging myself! Hope you enjoy a dorky Lavi and an Allen who knows what he is doing (mostly). 
> 
> There are more detailed notes at the bottom of the fic, so I suggest you take a look at them after you have finished this thing. I hope my writing is understandable and most of the typos have been eliminated.

An empty bottle went flying through the air, spilling any remaining contents on the sidewalk. Like a bullet it disappeared in the sea of people, not indicating if it had hit ground or a person. The shoes responsible for kicking it returned to walk on the busy street, aggressive steps hitting the cobblestone hard.

Lavi was in a black mood. He tried checking his broken pocket-watch one more time, but it still showed 12.30—just as it had done seven hours ago. This wouldn’t have been such a big deal if Lavi had just gotten the damn thing back from the repairman. Had he been less stingy and taken the pocket-watch to a proper clocksmith, he would have returned from his lunch on time and avoided getting shouted at by his boss—and that had been just the beginning of his day as a common spit cup.

Lavi’s bad luck hadn’t ended along with his work either: on his way home, Lavi had already been splashed twice by the vehicles driving too close to the sidewalk. It was rather cold, and Lavi wondered if skipping around in wet trousers would give him a good reason to call a doctor tomorrow; his long, carmine red scarf did little to protect his trembling feet. Lavi had also stepped on a pile of dog shit, dirtying his favourite shoes, and a kid had stuck a lollipop on his trench coat, leaving a gross stain on it. The kid’s mother had just pet the rascal on the head and whispered, “Julius, you know you are not getting another lollipop in a week?”

Lavi wished the mother would be weak enough to give in to the _sweet_ _little Julius’_ whining–and purchase Julius so much candy that the little shit would suffer from cavalries for the rest of its life.

On days like these, Lavi wasn’t much of a people lover. Everyone was either an asshole or stupid as shit, and during a rush-hour those traits tended to stand out exceptionally well. Lavi was crossing a bridge when some bulky bastard decided they were too busy to wait, and they almost showed Lavi over the railing when forcing their way through. Lavi shook his fist at the culprit and shouted, “Hope you get run over by a carriage!” The incident brought his mind back to work, and Lavi was remained of the treatment he had received there. Every man for himself—that’s what happened every time a case fell apart.

Sometimes Lavi wished he could fall through a hole and disappear, if only to get away from this rotten society and the endless rat race. Nothing was ever good enough.

It was no wonder that Lavi’s irritation only grew when he noticed a mass of people blocking the street he was walking. It wasn’t a small street by any means, but the amount of people managed to cover it from one side to the other. Lavi cursed under his breath and walked towards the crowd, examining it for potential openings. He really wanted to get home as soon as possible, and he wasn’t in a mood for looking a new route. He cracked his knuckles and started pushing himself through the crowd, using his elbows whenever someone didn’t take a hint.

What was wrong with these people? It was a rush-hour, and they thought it was okay to block a whole damn street! Lavi could faint, and he would still be able to stand because these idiots were cluttered together so tightly that they could have been stitched together.

Suddenly people started clapping their hands and cheering ear-piercingly, and only then did Lavi start wondering what made them gather in the first place. He turned his head to the direction, that people’s faces were pointed at, and saw someone moving at the front. The first thing Lavi paid attention to was that person’s snow-white hair, shining through the dull, dark mass of people.

A performer?

Lavi squinted his eye and started to move towards the front of the crowd, pushing away the arms and heads blocking his vision. People kept giving him bad looks, but Lavi couldn’t care less about what they thought of him—he wasn’t the one to start a roadblock. Still, he was curious about what kind of person had managed to capture a crowd this big.

Lavi finally made it past the worst cluster and found himself a place from the front row, right next to a group of young, screaming ladies. The person everyone was watching was a young man standing above a sturdy looking crate, making himself tall enough to be viewed from the other side of the street. The man raised his hands and made a playful spin, ending the move with a theatrical bow. His face, framed by that unnatural white hair, flashed the audience a heart-warming smile, and Lavi started to understand why there were so many females around.

The man was definitely a performer–and a sight for sore eyes.

Next to the crate was a huge trunk, probably filled with performance props. The red pattern over the man’s face made Lavi wonder what kind of performer he was. His white hair looked too good to be a wig, and he even had white eyelashes to support it. Those couldn’t be natural, could they? Lavi would have pegged him as a clown, but the petite man was clothed in neat, black jacket and trousers; a red ribbon and a top hat completed the refined look.

A small, golden golem sat on top of the performer’s shoulder, and Lavi wondered if it was a mascot of a sort; antique golems weren’t exactly in fashion when it came to decorating and dressing up.

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your enthusiasm,” the young man suddenly spoke, getting Lavi’s attention. The man’s voice was a peculiar mix of soft and firm; combined with his looks and gestures, it gave off a rather charismatic impression. The performer waited for the audience to calm down before he continued speaking. “I have a few more magical tricks I’d like to show you, if you allow me to continue.”

The people around the performer yelled in excitement, but Lavi remained expressionless on his place.

A magician–really? What a disappointment.

The magician pulled out a deck of cards, showing the audience that it was authentic. “Name five cards–and believe or not, I’ll be randomly pulling those very cards from this deck!” People started shouting him card names, and the magician repeated five of them in a loud voice before starting to shuffle his deck by juggling. The cards flew over the magician’s head and arms in smooth curves, his flexible hands keeping up the momentum. Without looking at the card streams, the magician snatched five random cards and threw them at the audience. People from the crowd grabbed all five cards, and surprised gasps could be heard from their mouths. The magician smiled and clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention. “Where did my Jack of Hearts land?” he asked, encouraging the people to participate.

A young girl, part of the group killing Lavi’s ears, raised her hand and showed the card she had caught. “Here!” she shouted, eyes twinkling like little stars. The process was repeated until all five cards had been found and identified. Of course, they were the exact cards the people themselves had chosen.

People started whispering excitedly, but Lavi just rolled his eyes. He didn’t see anything fascinating about the performance—it was a variation of one of the easiest tricks around, even if juggling and throwing cards in the audience made it look a little showier. Still, what was it with all this hype? Most people here could barely see those small cards.

But to Lavi’s surprise, the trick wasn’t over yet. The magician clapped his hands and said, “I’d like the people holding those cards to raise them in the air.” The people did as they were asked, and the magician continued, “I’m going to make them come back to me, all by themselves. When I say ‘dango’, I want you to let go of them.”

The magician reached his hand forward, staring at the cards intently, before shouting the command. People let go off the cards, and–to everyone’s surprise–they didn’t fall down as expected. Staying up, they flew towards the magician’s hand like they were being sucked into it. The magician grabbed the cards and said, “That’s the conclusion of this little trick—I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.”

People broke into a huge applause. Children were hopping around like excited puppies, and adults clapped their hands and pumped their fists into the air. Lavi had to widen his legs and hunch his back to make himself heavier, so that he wouldn’t get pushed around by all those arms swinging around him. He grimaced as someone’s elbow hit him to ribs and felt an urge to punch them back. The girls beside Lavi were screaming their lungs out and chanting, “Allen, Allen, Allen!”

Allen must have been the magician’s name, Lavi thought as he rubbed the painful spot below his chest. The guy definitely stood out with his getup and charisma, but Lavi still couldn’t understand why people were so enthusiastic about his performance. Flying cards were a nice addition, but otherwise it was just swapping the right cards in when no one was looking at performer’s hands. And the flying part could be achieved in several ways…

Allen continued doing more flashy card tricks, and Lavi got more and more irritated at people’s reactions over them. They were gawking at each trick like they’d never seen anything similar, whispering “magic” whenever something impressed them. Didn’t they understand that these things were simple hoaxes, not miracles performed by a saint?

God how Lavi hated magic tricks–in his opinion, they were nothing but showy bullshit made to trick others. But even more he hated the people who actually swallowed that crap.

Lavi started paying more attention to Allen’s moves, following his hands and gestures as he performed each trick. As Lavi started to get hang of Allen’s gestures, it became easier to spot _flaws_ and _places_ in his “miraculous” performance. When the girls next to Lavi glorified Allen levitating a card between his hands, Lavi rolled his eyes and snorted. Magic his ass.

Allen was about to finish his trick with another smooth bow, when Lavi’s loud shout broke away from the cheering of the crowd. “Would you happen to have magnets in your gloves?” Lavi asked with a clear, stern voice. Lavi saw Allen stop for a moment, that captivating smile freezing over his face. Allen scanned the audience quickly with his eyes, stopping on Lavi for a half-second. Then, before anyone could say another word, Allen grabbed his top hat and took it off. He jumped and made a somersault in the air, landing on top of the crate perfectly. The audience was bought back immediately, and Lavi raised his eyebrow.

Ignoring the dissonance in paradise? Tsk-tsk.

Lavi wasn’t too surprised by Allen’s choice of action, but the fact that his guess had most likely hit the nail on the head gave him satisfaction. Allen continued his performance, and Lavi kept watching his hands and ignoring his misguiding. He smirked as he figured out another trick and waited patiently for Allen to finish it.

How long would it take for Allen to crack if Lavi kept calling out his cheats?

The street became a war field. Lavi would raise his voice after each trick, trying to figure out how Allen had managed to pull them off. Allen kept ignoring him, occasionally throwing in a comment about “alley cats meowing” before moving on. However, his polite mask was starting to crack under the constant pressure. Lavi snickered as he noticed Allen’s fingers twitching when the magician had been forced to distract the audience with another bad joke. People were starting to quiet down, and Lavi was happy he didn’t have to worry about losing his hearing anymore.

“Pretty sure those rings have small gaps in them.”

“Either your hat has a fake bottom, or you slipped that rabbit in from your coat.”

“More magnets? Isn’t that getting old?”

Lavi was on fire. It was priceless to see Allen having to struggle to keep the show going.

Suddenly Lavi felt something bump against his shoulder, and he gave a questioning look at the woman behind him. The woman was staring at him angrily. She held a hand of a young child whose eyes were moving between Allen and Lavi, as if they didn’t know who to follow. Other children in the crowd had also quieted, and Lavi could hear them asking, “Is it true? Is that not real magic?” Other parents were also giving him bad looks, and the ladies beside him had moved further away from him.

Lavi let out an exaggerated “pfft” and said, “C’moon! These tricks are mere illusions. There’s nothing magical about them.” Seriously, what was the big deal? It was better to get those nonsensical thoughts out of your head as soon as possible and face the reality. There was no wonderland, no treasure at the end of the rainbow or things like unicorns—and definitely no magic.  

As the atmosphere around Lavi was becoming more and more awkward, Allen finally broke his indifference. Allen drew the attention back to himself with a loud whistle, after which he announced, “We seem to have a sceptic among us.” It wasn’t an openly aggressive statement, but a certain sharpness in Allen’s voice signalled that he had clearly had enough. He spread his arms invitingly and looked at Lavi. “Young man, how about you come up here and help me with my final trick?” He narrowed his kind eyes just enough to send Lavi the message that this was indeed a challenge–and declining would make Lavi look like a coward.

“This is your chance to prove your claims–but if you can’t do it, then you should take back those nasty words. So how about it? Are you willing to test if those accusations hold any water?”

Lavi huffed and stared back at Allen, blood rushing to his face. The challenge was like a red flag to the bull, and he wanted nothing more than expose this self-confident fraud. Still, some critical part of his mind tried saying that he might be taking things a bit far; Lavi should just swallow his pride and walk away, letting Allen and the audience have their fun. He hadn’t come here to participate in any show. But the second Allen’s mouth turned into a smug smirk, Lavi lost the voice of reason.

Without saying a word, Lavi stepped front and climbed on top of the crate Allen was on. The crate was sturdy and large enought so that they could both stand on it without having to touch each other, but Lavi would have preferred more than an arm’s length of distance. Allen was about half a head shorter than him, but he had seen those sneaky hands in action–and Allen’s demeanour suggested a person who could smile like an angel while stabbing their victim. It was enough to keep Lavi on his toes.

“So, what do you have in mind?” Lavi asked, standing tall with hands in his coat’s pockets.

Allen let out a small laugh and stretched his arms, bringing them just a little too close for Lavi’s comfort. “This is my last trick, so obviously it must be something different compared to the previous ones.” His gray eyes glittered impishly while he eyed Lavi from head to toe, trying pick up Lavi’s weaknesses.  “Hmmm. I wonder what I should pick for such a critical redhead?”

Lavi refused to budge under Allen’s teasing—instead he fuelled the fire between them himself. “You better forget those cards and bunnies. I didn’t come here to be bored with such basic hocus-pocus.” The burning glare he saw smouldering behind Allen’s facade was perfect. Lavi felt proud, having gotten to the magician on a personal level.

“I see,” Allen said with an overly polite tone. “I think we’ll have to go for something daring to keep you from getting _too bored_.” Something flashed through his eyes as an idea seemed to have come to him. He gave Lavi’s form one more look before saying, “Even for such a demanding customer, I know a trick that should be more than satisfying.” His expression darkened a little when he added, “It takes some concentration. For your own safety, I suggest you don’t try disturbing me while I’m performing it—people have been hurt before.”

Lavi blinked his eye, a feeling of uneasiness passing over him. This guy wouldn’t try anything in front of all these people, would he? After a moment Lavi shook the thought out of his head: this was a magician he was dealing with—not a gangster or a cultist. No matter how flashy or dangerous the trick Allen had planned was, Lavi was determined not to let it get the better of him. Lavi would definitely figure out its secret and expose Allen’s bluff. He nodded understandingly, gaining a “good” from Allen.

Allen then rotated himself so he was facing both Lavi and the audience, starting to describe his trick. “It’s been a while since I’ve performed this particular trick. Usually I would only use my own hands—but since our brave gentleman has kindly agreed to lend use his assistance, I’m willing to use him as my medium.”

After the speech, Allen brought his hands to that golem on his shoulder. Stroking its surface with his thumbs, he lifted the golem and turned it around so that it was facing him. The action looked surpassingly gentle and calm, and the way Allen gazed at that thing was intimate.

It made Lavi wonder if there was something more to that golem: it didn’t seem like a simple mascot anymore. Maybe it was a prop for the trick? Or Allen was going to do something ridiculous, like kiss it. No! Where had that come from?

But then Allen started talking to the golem. “Tim, we are going to need your help with this one. Would you too kindly lean us your strength?”

There was something different. Something different in the way Allen talked to the golem. Gone was that irritating, boosted-up confidence, and Allen’s words lacked the dramatics that had accompanied his speech so far. Lavi was a little taken aback by the change. It was like Allen was talking to someone special—someone dear to him. For a first time today, Lavi thought he could see something real and unhidden in this man who faked for living.

It was…

But Lavi wasn’t given time to mull over the change, because that small, previously stoic golem came to life. The golem started flapping its golden wings like a bird, almost causing Lavi to fall off the crate from a surprise. Allen let out a happy laugh as the golem started rising towards the sky, until it dashed forward with a rapid speed. It flew over the people on the street like a rocket, collecting astonished gasps on its way. Eye nailed to the golem, Lavi followed its movements until it returned to hover over him and Allen, gliding back and forth in the air effortlessly.

Lavi held his breath in amazement: he had never seen such a device before! The historian in him was daring to rise from its grave; in this time and day, golems weren’t too common, most of them being decorative relics from the past. This one was even able to move. Lavi was sure it had to be horribly expensive, real gold or not. Whoever had built it was probably some unknown genius–otherwise those things wouldn’t have been left in history that easily. How on earth had a street magician gotten their hands on such a peculiar artefact?

Wait. Exceptional golem or not, it was still a part of Allen’s show.

Lavi’s expression returned to neutral, and he turned his head to Allen’s direction. Allen was rocking on the balls of his feet, smiling coyly while waiting for Lavi to stop his gawking. Instinctively, Lavi brought a hand to his eyepatch and gave Allen a dirty look with his one good eye.

Bastard had played him.

“Shall we continue?” Allen said and moved closer to Lavi, rubbing his clothed hands together. Lavi blinked as Allen suddenly brought those hands to his cheeks, and he felt a sudden urge to pull his head backwards. The softness of those gloves send small shivers down to his spine, and Lavi was sure his face was heating up again—but for an entirely different reason than previously. Allen’s face was closer, and Lavi could see how ridiculously long those pale eyelashes actually were. Lavi could also smell a strong scent of cologne, which he definitely hadn’t noticed before. It made his head spin.

Allen seemed to find Lavi’s sudden discomfort amusing, and he giggled. “No need to worry, mister. As long as you follow my instructions and don’t make any sudden movements, we both should be able to survive this trick without injuries.” He then cocked his head to the side and added, “And I apologize for making you uncomfortable. I thought you might want to feel my gloves for any hidden objects– _magnets_ among other things.”

There couldn’t be anything besides that soft cotton caressing Lavi’s face a little too intimately.

“Uh, yeah. They are okay. You can stop now,” Lavi said, muttering in embarrassment. He didn’t feel like searching those gloves more properly, and he was relieved when Allen removed them from his face. Lavi took a quick glance at the audience, which seemed to be watching them very intently. Instead of frustration he felt a pang of anxiety.

Lavi wasn’t exactly sure what he was doing anymore.

Why had he gotten along with this performance in the first place? He wasn’t stupid–he knew that Allen had had many opportunities to set up his trick while Lavi was too busy staring at his golem or wondering about the softness of his gloves. Damn, Lavi had known that Allen was skilled at creating distractions–but he hadn’t guessed the man could play him like this.

Lavi usually had better concentration and self-control. In his moment of frustration, he had accepted Allen’s challenge and taken part in the show–and now he had trouble focusing on the task he had stubbornly taken to himself. It made him wonder though.

What if Lavi really didn’t care about exposing Allen’s tricks as much as he claimed to?

Once again Lavi was pulled back to the reality by Allen who had now taken Lavi’s hands in his. Allen was... washing their hands with soap water? Where had he gotten that from? Lavi gave Allen a questioning look, and Allen answered him with another smile.

“I need to wash your hands for this trick. It cannot be performed with dirty hands.” Suddenly Allen’s face took on a more serious expression, and he seemed to be choosing his words carefully. “I didn’t lie when I said I don’t usually perform this trick—it is dangerous, even with proper preparations.”

The way Allen said it made Lavi want to believe him, but there was also a new kind of feeling present in Allen’s voice and gestures. What it exactly was, that Lavi couldn’t quite grasp; it was still behind Allen’s professional façade, only visible from small, unintentional cracks.

Even so, something in the tension between them had changed.

From a small, pocket-size bottle, Allen kept adding soap water on Lavi’s hands and cleaning them carefully. Lavi allowed him, a little interested in what Allen was preparing him for. Instead of drying their hands properly, Allen left some of the foam on both of them. “To protect us,” Allen assured and rubbed Lavi’s knuckles calmingly. It felt strangely comfortable, even if Lavi wasn’t sure why Allen did it in the first place. The smell of cologne around Allen was still strong, and Lavi wondered why Allen hadn’t removed his gloves for the washing operation. He speculated they were still a part of the trick—maybe even Allen’s whole character.

What part of the man in front of him wasn’t part of the show?

When Allen deemed the preparations sufficient, both physical and mental, he continued giving Lavi more instructions. “When I say ‘dango’, we are going to raise our arms as high as possible without breaking the contact.” He was still holding Lavi’s hands in his own, squeezing them gently. “And as I said before, this trick is dangerous. You have to keep still no matter what, and you can absolutely not pull away from my hold before I let go off your hands.” Allen looked thoughtful for a moment, as if he was considering something. Then the determination returned to his features, and he repeated his instructions one more time. “Just remember this: keep still and do not let go until I do.”

Lavi nodded and Allen gave him another squeeze on his hands. “It starts when I count to three. You ready, mister…?”

“Lavi,” Lavi said, not entirely sure why. He felt as if had to say it.

Allen blinked before repeating the name. “Lavi, eh? That’s quite an unusual name. L-ah-vee.” It sounded soft rolling from his tongue, as if Allen was tasting the syllables when he spoke. Allen then giggled. “Are you ready, Lavi?”

God how strong that smell of cologne was.

Lavi nodded, and Allen glanced at the little golem still hovering over them. “You ready too, Tim? I’m counting to three–you know what to do.” Again in that clear, unguarded tone…

Wait. Hadn’t Allen been using that tone for a while now?

But Allen started counting, and Lavi had to stop to listen—and focus on Allen’s calm voice, guiding him to the unknown.

_“One.”_

So this was it. The promised trick. The trick that was supposed to be something that Lavi couldn’t figure out.

_“Two.”_

How funny. For some reason, Lavi felt like he wouldn’t have minded believing in something.

_“Three.”_

The bursting light, accompanied by a loud, hissing noise. It filled Lavi’s field of vision, causing him to flinch. Lavi squinted, almost closing his eye on a reflex. He caught himself on the last moment. He needed his eye open; he needed to see what was going on.

There was another, stronger squeeze on his hands, and the smell of something burning filled the air.

The golem. It was still flying, dancing in the sky. But it was followed by the source of that powerful light, hissing noise and burning smell.

A slit of fire—a beautiful, fearsome snake made of pure crackling fire.

It was huge. Largest flames were the size of a child, and it was long enough to wrap around several people. The snake hissed and raised its head up, chasing the golem flying in front of it and guiding its moves. The fire monster’s body made large, wavy movements in the air, tail lashing violently when it was forced to change the direction.

Lavi couldn’t tear his eye away from the beast circling around him and Allen, kept away only by that small golem that acted as the worm in the hook. The closeness of that hungry inferno send waves of primal fear down to Lavi’s body. His every cell kept telling him to start running—but Lavi stayed put, even if he was shaking like a leaf. For some strange reason, even when the snake’s torching head passed just a few inches past Lavi’s own, throwing sparks all over his skin, Lavi’s mind was perfectly calm.

In front of Lavi, Allen was watching him intently. Allen was still holding on to Lavi’s hands, squishing them more firmly than before. There was a strange, calculating expression on his face, as if he wasn’t sure how to proceed. It wasn’t fearful, but something in it felt uneasy—vulnerable.  

Still unable to panic, Lavi wondered what it was. Was Allen thinking of calling the trick quits? Did it not go the way he had planned? No. Allen wasn’t eyeing the audience or being scared of the fire—his only concern seemed to be Lavi. The hold on his hands was strong and almost desperate.

Maybe Allen was afraid that Lavi would jump off and get torched by that huge fire in the process? Lavi himself could definitely see that happening—had he not been held by Allen’s hands, that is. For now, he wasn’t too worried.

Meeting Allen’s gaze in between the burning lights, sparks flying past them and colouring their bodies with warm, glowing colours, Lavi closed his eye and gave Allen his most reassuring smile.

It was okay. He wasn’t going to run now.

And why would he? Even without the grand finale, Allen was one of the most skilled magicians Lavi had ever come by. He couldn’t have been in better hands here.

Lavi couldn’t see Allen’s expression, but the pressure on his hands loosened, leaving behind only the soft touch of those gloves. And instead of irritation, Lavi felt good for having been able to help Allen in some way.

The snake continued following the golem and surrounding Allen and Lavi, until it started spinning around them in a maddening speed. Lavi felt Allen’s hold tightening once more, and he thought that they must have been nearing the ending. The snake spun and spun until its body formed a large, tornado like spiral, caging Allen and Lavi inside of it.

It was then that Lavi heard Allen shouting, “dango!” and he shot his arms up together with Allen’s.

A huge explosion was set off from the top of their hands. It cut off the snake’s spiralling body, and the flames started slowly dying and disappearing.  Lavi could still feel the flames dancing over his palms, separated from his flesh only by that very thin layer of foam. Allen, still holding Lavi’s hands in his, shook their hands a few times to put off the remaining flames. He then brought Lavi’s hands down and made sure that they were unharmed. Ignoring his own hands for a moment, Lavi double checked that Allen’s were just as fine as at the beginning of the trick. There was a small burnt area on the cloth between his right hand’s fingers, but otherwise Allen’s gloves and hands looked just fine.

Lavi smiled. This guy really did know what he was doing.

It was only then that Lavi registered the roaring applause made by the audience. Their attention was solely on Allen and Lavi, and every single soul on that street was screaming at the top of their voices, the sound of it echoing through the whole city. The massiveness of the reaction was halting and infectious, almost taking over Lavi’s feelings. He had to spend a few minutes trying to catch his own thoughts from that overwhelming sea of glee.

Just as Lavi was about to get his head sorted out, he felt a tug on his sleeve. Allen grinned at him and slid a hand down to Lavi’s arm, looking like a cat who had caught a mouse. Lavi held his breath as Allen grabbed his hand and brought it closer, thumb brushing over his long, worn-out fingers. Lavi was still disorganized from all the attention he was suddenly receiving—and now Allen held him like a piece of food on the fork. Allen’s white eyelashes closed just slightly, and he brought his thin, pale lips over Lavi’s hand. Gently, Allen placed a small kiss on Lavi’s wrist. Lavi blinked, feeling the blood dreading to return to his face once more. It was like some kind of contract had been sealed.

“Well now,” Allen said loudly while tapping his fingers over Lavi’s larger hand. “Do you have anything to say about this trick, mister Lavi? Was it up to your standards?”

Allen’s mannerisms had returned. He sounded so damn confident and cocky. And he had every reason to be—Lavi still had no idea how he had pulled off that spectacle. Allen, of course, knew this. The teasing smiles, timing of the golem and tender touches on Lavi’s face—they had all been calculated to help setting up the trick without Lavi noticing. Allen could have been reading him like an open book! Lavi too had understood this but had still allowed himself to fall into the trap.

 “Well, that trick was certainly something. You got me for good,” Lavi said in an uncomfortable voice. Allen was still holding onto his hand, waiting for him to admit defeat—there was nothing more to it than that.

A nasty feeling budded in Lavi’s throat. Of course, he still didn’t believe in magic. But without an explanation to Allen’s trick, he couldn’t do much but admit having been beaten. Allen’s expression told him that he was not allowed to worm himself out of this—the same face who, in the middle of the fire tornado, had glanced at him so insecurely.

Damn. Lavi didn’t really care about revealing Allen’s bluff anymore—he just wished he knew what that one expression had meant. It had been real.

Well, it was time to face the defeat. “If I’m being honest, I have no idea how you did it,” Lavi said, causing a satisfied grin to form on Allen’s face. It still stung a little. Lavi should just get this over with and give Allen what the guy wanted—then disappear. It was Lavi’s own fault for getting caught up with those mischievous gestures and the smell of cologne, thinking too much of them. Lavi’s shoulders slumped and he let out a hollow laugh. “And I’m supposed to be a…”

Lavi got silent in the middle of his sentence. A weird, buzzing feeling had just entered his head; something he had said or thought had triggered it. His brain was trying to tell him something. What was it? Was it about Allen? Or the trick? Did he end up noticing something?

Think. Think. Think.

Lavi then got it: he couldn’t smell the cologne anymore.

Suddenly it was like million threads started connecting. Lavi kept on replaying the event inside his head. He brought back the memories of Allen’s gestures, his smiles and the golem—and the fire snake and how the beast had moved. Allen’s hand was still holding Lavi’s, and Lavi pulled it closer to examine it. Any hints of that soap water and foam were gone, burned away… but that small spot of cloth between Allen’s fingers made Lavi’s eye widen.

Slowly, Lavi raised his eye from Allen’s hand to the man’s face. Allen just stared back at him, the expression of triumph slowly fading as he took in the changes on Lavi’s behaviour. Lavi held back at his words a little, not sure what he wanted anymore. He swallowed to get some room in his dry mouth, trying to find something to say. Every silent second seemed to increase Allen’s discomfort under Lavi’s knowing eye.

Lavi opened his mouth, having put together a proper sentence—but he wasn’t allowed to voice it.

“I have one more surprise trick left,” Allen said in a fast voice. Instead of letting Lavi start speaking, Allen brought his hands to the sides of Lavi’s face, holding it firmly, and took a step forward. Lavi, being forced to hunch over the smaller man, let out a soundless gasp. He didn’t know if his heart was beating at all, being this close to Allen made him feel faint and disconnected. Allen was biting the inside of his cheek, and the tip of his tongue brushed slightly over his lips. He then pulled Lavi’s face down, placing those lips over Lavi’s—and whatever thoughts Lavi had on his mind disappeared like smoke in the air.

From that moment on, everything that happened on the performance area became a hazy memory. Lavi had troubles focusing on anything but the kiss. He was aware that at some point Allen had pulled away, but the feeling of those soft lips still lingered on Lavi’s own.  Somehow Lavi had gotten himself off the crate without breaking any bones, and people had cheered on Allen and pet Lavi’s back. Lavi’s face felt so hot that he must have been blushing like a teenage schoolgirl, and it was a wonder he hadn’t fainted.

Lavi wasn’t sure how Allen had even ended his performance. After the kiss, Allen had pretty much just guided Lavi off the stage and collected his tips. By the time Lavi managed to clear off his head, he was pretty much standing alone on the street, both Allen and the audience gone. New people passed Lavi from left and right, continuing walking without sparing him a glance.

Lavi brought his hand to his mouth and rubbed his lips gently. He felt his face heating up again, and he crouched down, hiding his head in his arms.

So that’s what it had been, all along.

Lavi felt like the biggest fool on earth.

Why had he opened his big mouth and started an argument over magic tricks? Did he think someone actually cared about his opinion or how clever he supposedly was? These people had just gathered here to see something entertaining—not to be educated.

And Allen. He was just doing his job, giving the people what they wanted: a good show. He didn’t need someone trying to tear it to pieces and scorn it, just so that person could get some attention.

Lavi had been a horrible jerk.

While rubbing his forehead, embarrassed over his actions, something shining caught Lavi’s eye. He blinked and shifted his gaze towards it, as it just happened to be in the direction Allen had been performing at. Wondering if Allen had forgotten one of his props, Lavi stood up and went to get a better look. His eye widened when he saw the little golem on the ground, hiding behind the abandoned crate.

“What are you doing here?” Lavi said in a whisper and reached towards the small artefact. The golem was still moving, and it averted Lavi’s hands like they were plague. Its “face” split in two, and Lavi could see the rows of angry teeth sneering at him. The golem was growling and not looking forward to being captured—maybe it had been hiding to avoid that fate in general.

Lavi withdrew his hands and bit his lower lip. The golem must have been left behind by an accident. Lavi figured he should just leave it were it was, to spare both himself and Allen from headache. Allen would come to get it himself, for sure, when he noticed that it was gone.

Still, people kept passing the crate and giving the golem interested looks.

Lavi frowned. Allen’s warm voice returned to his mind. He gave the golem once last look before scooping it up. The thing delivered what it had promised, and Lavi’s fingers were covered in small bites and scratches by the time he finished wrapping his scarf around the golem.

“Dammit,” Lavi frowned while sucking his bleeding fingers. “At least I know for sure how you started that fire now.” He gave the angry bundle on his arms a pat before setting off. “Don’t worry pal—we are going to get you back to your owner.”

Unknown to Lavi, Allen was already walking on the other side of the town.

The tired magician inspected a fresh apple in his hand before taking a bite. His eyelids drooped over his lazy eyes, and his legs were aching all over. The performance had been unconventionally taxing, and he was in a desperate need of energy boost. The sweet apple was just a right thing to raise his spirits. The heavy trunk Allen pulled behind thudded against the ground, in the rhythm of his steps.

A female voice broke the silence. “Allen, let me help you with that. It looks heavy.”

Allen turned his head towards his companion, an embarrassed semi-smile appearing on his face. He had almost forgotten that he was in the presence of his occasional travelling partner. “Ah, no need for you to do that. I’m perfectly fine, Lenalee.”

“Nonsense,” the girl in question said and grabbed the handle of Allen’s trunk. “That was not a suggestion. Let me carry this for a while and finish that apple. You look ready to drop dead any second now.”

When Lenalee turned into a mother hen, it was useless to argue with her. Allen sighed and gave up, letting the trunk fall on the ground next to his feet. Lenalee, surprised by the weight of the item, let out a loud yelp before her determination returned to her features. The trunk was once again lifted from the ground, and Lenalee didn’t allow it to drag against the paving anymore. Allen wondered where she was hiding up all that strength; for a fortune teller, she sure knew how to pull more than her own weight.

Allen continued eating his apple until Lenalee interrupted him again. “I haven’t seen you make that trick in a while,” she said in a surprised voice. Besides her attempt to sound neutral, Allen guessed that she wasn’t as happy as she was letting on. “I thought you said that it was too dangerous. That you wouldn’t perform it anymore,” Lenalee finally said, confirming Allen’s suspicions. It was a rhetoric question.

Allen frowned. Lenalee wasn’t a magician like him, but she had known him for a long time. She also knew most of his tricks, the ones he liked and mastered perfectly–but also the ones that had a more complicated history. “To be honest, I wasn’t planning on performing it in the first place,” Allen said. “But then that guy, Lavi, showed up and got under my skin. I wanted to teach him a lesson.”

Lenalee pursed her lips and nodded. “Yes, he was being an ass. I can understand the frustration.” Then her expression changed into something unreadable, and her steps became a little slower. “But you know Allen,” she said quietly, “that trick really was dangerous. You could have seriously hurt him—or yourself for that matter.”

Allen’s left hand twitched and curled into a fist. He knew. Allen gave Lenalee an apologetic look. “I know. It was stupid of me.” A quilt crept up, and he felt like confessing, “If I’m being perfectly honest, I didn’t care about his safety too much. He was being a pain, and I wouldn’t have minded frying his hair off. It had such an irritating colour too.”

Yeah—Allen wasn’t too proud of his attitude towards Lavi. In the middle of the preparations, he had started realizing that this particular trick might not have been such a good idea. He could handle the trick itself somehow, but the problem was with the helper. You could never anticipate how someone would react when put into a situation like that, no matter how well you thought you read them. Lavi had been a jerk—irritatingly perceptive jerk—but that didn’t mean Allen was allowed to put him in the danger.

Surely Allen had had his fair share of sceptic viewers before; he knew how to handle them without losing his cool. But Lavi’s case had been a bit different. He wasn’t just any stupid bystander, even if he sought attention in a really immature way. As good as a player Allen considered himself to be, he felt stupid for letting Lavi’s childishness get to him; he might have been able to pull the taller man like a dog on the leash, but it was Lavi who had managed to tempt Allen into choosing such a dangerous trick.

And just because Allen had wanted to impress him.

Allen shook his head in embarrassment. He had wanted to show Lavi what he was capable of. He had wanted the redhead to either shudder in fear or gawk at him in amazement.

What he had ended up getting instead...

Lenalee, understanding that Allen had learned his lesson, started lighting up the mood. “Well, at least you made some money out of it. People love thrills and competitions.” She let him get back to feeling more comfortable until she changed the subject a little. “There’s this one little thing that I just cannot understand,” she said while eyeing Allen a little too innocently. Corners of her mouth turned slightly upwards and she asked, “Why did you kiss that jerk?”

Allen halted in his step before letting out a dry laugh, scratching his painted cheek. “Well, I certainly did not plan that,” he said with a nervous voice. He knew what Lenalee was thinking: Allen didn’t usually go about kissing his audience members. Well, he rarely felt like teasing them either. Or touching their faces. Or holding their hands. Or kissing their hands…

Yes, yes, yes. Allen might have found some parts of Lavi slightly intriguing, like that hair colour. And he might have had fun playing with Lavi’s obvious interest, in some twisted way. It would have been flattening and cute—had the man not been such a pain. However, that wasn’t the reason why Allen had ended up kissing him.

 “You know what, Lenalee? I kind of panicked there,” Allen said in a low voice.

Lenalee turned around so that she could face Allen and keep walking at the same time. “You panicked?” she repeated Allen’s words. “Why?”

Allen refused to look at her straight to the eyes as he answered, “He figured out that trick.”  

Lenalee dropped the trunk with a loud thud. After a moment of complete silence, she batted her dark eyelashes and exclaimed, “He did WHAT?” Her surprise soon turned into a slight admiration, and she slapped her hands over her mouth. “My god. He figured out one of Mana’s tricks.”

“Yes, so he did.” Allen felt a little better after seeing Lenalee’s reaction—it hadn’t been that different from his own, inner shock. Mana’s tricks were a bit special: they were flashy and extremely complicated, and they could only be performed with right equipment and under right conditions. Someone figuring out one was unheard of. Allen laughed at Lenalee before saying, “I didn’t think anyone would be able to crack them.”

Lenalee let out a long breath. “Yeah. I couldn’t grasp this one at all, until you explained it to me years ago.” She rubbed her sore hands, tired from holding the weight of Allen’s trunk, while letting the news sink in. Her mouth then turned back into a sly curve, and she looked at Allen like she had just caught the scoop of the century. “No wonder you kept pushing yourself forward like a lonely cat,” she said with a suggestive tone, “not only had he looks, but also some brains under that ‘irritating’ carrot hair or his.”

Allen considered performing an act of disappearance right there.

“Lenalee… I’m just glad that he is safe and the trick turned out okay,” Allen muttered and rolled his eyes at the girl’s amuse. Unfortunately, Lenalee never minded her own business when it came to her friends. There had been few people as nosy as her in Allen’s life—but, just like her, those people had also been the kindest ones. Allen owned his life and skills to them.

“You know what?” Allen suddenly said, changing the subject a little. “I’m happy I was finally able to perform that trick without casualties.” There was a strong, empowering feeling in his chest: he had finally performed one of his father’s tricks on its whole glory. An old wound was closing, and it made him both happy and proud.

“And it’s all thanks to Timcanpy here,” Allen said fondly—purposefully leaving out Lavi’s part—and patted a spot over his shoulder. But to his surprise, Timcanpy didn’t return the affectionate gesture.

Allen’s reminiscence came to a sudden halt. “Tim?” he asked softly, not seeing the familiar golem on its usual place.

“Strange. I was sure it was there when we left,” Allen muttered and took a look around himself. He stepped towards Lenalee and took the trunk from her. “Sorry Lenalee, I must check where that silly little thing has hidden itself,” he said as he opened the trunk and started organizing the items from it. Lenalee nodded understandingly and crouched beside Allen to help him in his search.

They spend over 15 minutes trying to find Timcanpy. By each minute, Allen started to feel more and more anxious. Lenalee suggested examining Allen’s clothes, but, no matter how many times Allen turned his coat around, he couldn’t find the golem.

“God. I must have left him at the performance area,” Allen realized in horror. He turned right on his step and started running back to the direction they had come from. “Lenalee, can you please take my stuff to the inn? I’ll be back once I find Tim!” He didn’t bother to wait for Lenalee’s reply—just continued running and focused solely on recovering his golem.

He had to find Tim.

Allen arrived to the street he had performed at, and he started searching around. He shouted and yelled, trying to catch Timcanpy’s attention in case the golem had hidden itself somewhere. He talked to the people passing by, asking them if they had happened to see a golden golem around. It was starting to get late, and there were less and less people—and Tim was nowhere to be found.

Allen abandoned the street and started searching the nearby areas. Horror scenarios went through his head as he continued getting more and more empty results. No one had seen or heard anything about the golem, and Allen felt worry starting to scorch his insides.

Sun started to sink in the horizon. Allen, having ended up in the nearby park, shielded his eyes from the blinding light, sweat falling down his skin. If his legs had been hurting before, they were now close to collapsing. Allen struggled to stay in a straight position; by now, he should have been back to the inn, filling his stomach with food and hitting his head to a pillow.

But he couldn’t do that—not without Tim.

The sunset coloured everything around Allen golden, and Allen let out a frustrated whine. He didn’t want to see that stupid colour right now! Not on trees, grass or flowers—not on anything that wasn’t Timcanpy! There was only one golden thing he wanted, and he wasn’t allowed to find it.  

Letting the fatigue take over, Allen sat down on a nearby bench and allowed his tired body to rest on it. It was hopeless—he wasn’t going to find Timcanpy like this. How he wished the golden golem would just appear from somewhere. Fly around him playfully. Tell him that this was just a bad joke. Allen might have even laughed at it. Corners of his eyes started burning.

Timcanpy had been a family treasure—a family treasure of the family that had adopted Allen.

“Allen?” a strange voice entered Allen’s ears, calling out his name. Turning his head slightly around, Allen saw a figure standing few feets away from him. Lavi. Sunset painted over the man, making his features difficult to see properly—but Allen would have recognized that red mess of hair anywhere.

“Go away. I’m not in a mood for an argument right now,” Allen said in a whiny voice and turned away from Lavi. He didn’t have strength to think about this idiot—he just wanted to be alone and figure out what the hell he was supposed to do now.

Against Allen’s wishes, Lavi could be heard walking closer. The man stopped nearby, clearly wanting something from Allen. Burning through the fresh grief, Allen felt a fit of rage coming up. Didn’t the blockhead understand a word he had said? Allen rose from the bench and turned around, preparing to give Lavi a piece of his mind. He might have held back in front of the people, but he didn’t give a shit about politeness right now! He opened his mouth, but didn’t get to say a word before Lavi showed a weird bundle into his arms.

“It’s something that belongs to you,” Lavi said and took couple of steps backwards.

Allen had barely any time to examine the tied-up scarf when he felt something moving inside of it. Allen’s heart stopped in his chest, registering the possibility before his mind. Could this be… Like a lunatic, Allen tore the scarf open, a small hope lighting inside of him.

From the scarf, Tim came out jumping and plastered himself on Allen’s face. It rubbed its body against the familiar skin and nibbled on Allen’s nose and eyelashes gently. It ticked, but Allen didn’t care. Tim had clearly missed him too. “Tim, where the hell have you been,” Allen said, unable to hide a relieved sob. He curled his hands around the golem and hugged it back, wanting to hold it as close as possible.

Allen felt like he had gotten a part of himself back.

While Timcanpy continued to snuggle into Allen, Allen eyed the scarf that was lying on the ground lifelessly. Allen noticed that Lavi was still standing further away. The man’s long arms hanged loosely on his sides, and his feet didn’t seem to agree which direction they were supposed to point at. He looked like some goofy cartoon character with his slender frame and eyepatch, that dishevelled red hair sticking in and out of his uncovered collar. The sight, combined with Lavi’s unintentional ‘lost puppy’ expression, made Allen want to burst into a laugh. He had to cough to surpass the urge.

“Lavi, how did you acquire Tim? And how did you know I was here?” Allen asked, trying to keep his face straight. He wanted to know how Lavi had managed to track him down—and how he had ended up with Tim in the first place. The bandages on Lavi’s fingers told that it hadn’t been an easy operation.

Lavi’s posture straightened to its limits when he heard Allen talking to him, his coat looking way too small on him. The man soon reverted back to a more fitting size, seemingly a bit more relaxed. Scratching the back of his head, Lavi said, “I spotted him near the stage and figured he must have been left there by an accident. Couldn’t just leave him there.” Lavi pressed his cheek against his large hand and looked away, not being able to face Allen properly. “He seemed… important to you. I didn’t want risk someone snatching him before you noticed he was gone.”

Allen felt relieved.

Lavi continued telling Allen how he had checked the local inns, asking about Allen and ending up meeting Lenalee. Allen could see it so vividly with his mind’s eye: Lenalee’s eyes starting to glitter mischievously as Lavi explained his business. That sneaky girl had turned Lavi on his heels, talking him into checking a few places so that he could return Tim to Allen all by himself.

Allen made a mental note to give Lenalee a proper scolding later, but right now he was still too happy about being reunited with Timcanpy—and Lavi too, in some strange way. “Thank you Lavi,” Allen said warmly. The fact that Lavi had gone through all that trouble for him made his chest feel even warmer.

A small blush returned to Lavi’s face, and he kept on trying to look at anything but Allen. “It was nothing,” he stuttered. There was a pause, and Lavi seemed to think about leaving again. But he shook his head and stomped on the grass below him, planting his foot there sturdily. He then let out a deep sight, finally facing Allen properly. Gone was the comical confusion: this face was serious. “Look, I’m sorry—sorry for being such a jerk and almost ruining your show,” Lavi said. He sounded like he had been thinking about that a lot.

“You are a great magician—probably the best I’ve ever met. Even someone like me can see and recognize that. I shouldn’t have criticized your work.”

Allen, not having expected such a change in the mood, blinked and stuttered, “Well... for a jerk you are quite a perceptive one.” Allen had sensed some kind of interest from Lavi, but he hadn’t realized that the man had thought of him THAT highly.

Lavi wasn’t just saying what sounded right, was he?

Allen’s hand found its way into his hair, and he started combing one of his white bangs without noticing. Now it was his turn to get flushed. He felt strange, getting complimented like this by a person who had seemed to disapprove of everything that he did. But it wasn’t really a bad feeling. It made Allen feel proud and fluttery, even if there was still something that bothered him about Lavi.

“You were right about most of those tricks,” Allen complimented Lavi in return. “But do tell me: how did you figure out that last trick?” It had been eating Allen up ever since he had seen the realization in Lavi’s eye.

Lavi offered a comforting smile. It was similar to the one from the middle of the inferno, and Allen felt like melting again. If smiles could kill, that one would be high on list for causing the most heart attacks.

 “The smell of cologne gave it away,” Lavi finally said, bringing Allen’s attention back to the subject.

 “It stopped smelling when the fire was put out—that’s when I figured that the cologne must have been used to ignite those flames!” There was a clear rise in Lavi’s voice, but he didn’t sound angry or cold at all—no, it was his excitement shining through. “Your golem is truly amazing too,” Lavi continued rambling, “no one would have thought that it could hold items inside of it and keep up the flames.” Lavi then pointed at Allen’s glove, which had that tiny burn on it. “And you even managed to sneak in ANOTHER lighter, probably while I was too busy being...” his face flushed again, “…distracted.”

“But hey! The use of methane as a ‘soap’ was also brilliant, and—”

Allen stared at him, dumbfounded. It wasn’t just Lavi’s deduction skills that impressed him, but also that strange passion over the details that seemed to have possessed Lavi. His hands had become more animated, and his long face was finding new shapes because of the wide variety of expressions it was making. He had even figured out Timcanpy’s role in the trick!

Who on earth was Lavi?

In his mind, Allen went through million different options until it hit him. “You are a detective, aren’t you?” he asked keenly. Lavi went as silent as a stone, and he stared at Allen, mouth opening and closing like a fish’s. Allen’s mouth turned into a huge grin, and he started laughing—laughing for real. Not a cute giggle or a controlled, flirty laughter. This was a real, pure laughter from the bottom of Allen’s heart. Eyes sparkling with newly-found interest, Allen faced Lavi once more and said, “A detective—a real fucking detective! God, this explains everything!”

It was Lavi’s turn to look impressed. “How on earth did you figure that out? Geez.” He raised his arms up in resignation, joining Allen in amusement. “Well, there goes my charm of mystery.”

“I think you are still quite charming—when not being a jerk,” Allen said between the laughter. Tears rolled down his face and washed away some of his paints—but he couldn’t care a less. He had been arguing over magic tricks with a detective! No wonder Lavi had been so irritated. He probably had to face and fight people similar to Allen for living: people who cheated and lied, but for harmful purposes.

But to think that Lavi blew a fuse over magic tricks!

Lavi was laughing too when Allen finally got a hang of himself. It was getting late, and despite this funny turn of events, Allen was still quite exhausted. He patted Timcanpy on the back and gaving Lavi an amused look before picking up the neglected scarf. “Well, it was nice meeting you, Lavi the detective,” Allen said as he prepared to leave. He walked up to Lavi and threw the scarf around the man’s long neck, tying it loosely. Allen let his eyes wash over the man’s completed look, trench coat and all, before shaking his head in amusement. “Detective.”

“A rather lousy detective,” Lavi muttered. “Always messing up and getting in trouble.” But just as Allen was about to walk past him, Lavi stopped the shorter man and said, “Wait, you have something behind your ear.”

Allen blinked as Lavi’s hand reached behind his ear, pulling out two red flowers. They were big and vivid in colour—and certainly hadn’t been picked from this park. Allen opened his mouth and let out a small gasp, moving his eyes between Lavi and the flowers repeatedly. “When…” he whispered, taking Lavi’s hand in his, turning it around and examining it carefully. “I didn’t see a thing!”

Allen turned his eyes back to Lavi and said, “Someone has been practicing.”

Lavi grinned back at him smugly. “An old hobby, which I wasn’t too good at. I have a bit of a habit of collecting random skills and information.” His face then took on a bashful expression, and he added, “But I’m way too curious and impatient for my own good. You could be say that I’ve become a Jack of all trades, master of none. Hope my floral apology is acceptable, at least.”

“Well, it’s better than none.” Allen laughed and took the offered flowers in his hands, fiddling with their large petals. They were fresh and not flattened. But camellias, really? This was just too cute—just like the redhead himself. Maybe, under all that childishness, Lavi was still the man he looked like. “Hey Lavi,” Allen asked, tilting his head to the side. “Are you coming to heckle my tomorrow’s performance too? I’ll be at the train station.”

It’d be pity if this was the last Allen would see of that peculiar character.

“Depends on what you have on the menu, little wizard,” Lavi said and eyed Allen suggestively. “I’m not too much into those magic things, but I think I was taken aback by that _very_ last trick of yours; I definitely wouldn’t mind experiencing it again.”

So it could flirt consciously too? Well, Allen didn’t complain.

“I’ll think about it, if you can behave yourself,” Allen said in a low voice, crossing his hands behind his back. He leaned forward, just enough to see a glimmer of anticipation appear in Lavi’s large, green eye. It looked almost like a real emerald—almost too cute. Instead of giving into the temptation, Allen blew some hot air on Lavi’s face. He giggled as Lavi’s hair flew all over the place, completing the man’s stunned expression. Then, before anything more could happen, Allen pulled himself back.

It was good to leave some room for dessert—for a while at least.

“Looking forward to tomorrow, Lavi,” Allen announced as he made his way forward, hips swinging slightly on his steps. He peeked over his shoulder, Timcanpy tucked safely into his coat, and made sure that Lavi was still looking at him when he disappeared behind the corner.

It took Lavi a few minutes to stop staring at the wall and return to the earth. He blew out some build-up air and ruffled his fuzzy hair, grimacing as the strands continued to defy the gravity.

Damn that little man—still playing with him.

But now Lavi had something new to look forward to. He thought that he could _maybe_ survive with those few hours of sleep, _maybe_ make it through another hellish workday, _maybe_ find his way to the train station without killing anyone, and _MAYBE_ give Allen some hard time during that next performance without ruining it. He wasn’t going to be a jerk again.

But if he could make a slight irritation appear on Allen’s perfect face and bring him down to another duel—that’d be a perfect payback for making Lavi sit and wait like this.

What did that man think he was? A dog? Probably a rabbit—Allen was a magician, after all.

Lavi still didn’t believe in fairy tales or magic—but IF there was any kind of magic in this world, it had to be in encounters like these. To think that this strange turn of events, which had started as a fight over principles and egos, would end up stirring something in him.

Lavi felt like he had been given a clue: a key.

There were still lots of things Lavi didn’t know, and he was dying to change that. Instead of focusing on cracking the tricks performed by Allen’s hands, Lavi would go to that performance and start solving the mystery called “Allen”. Maybe Lavi too would find some missing part of himself along the way.

Sun had finally set. Lavi had better hop into his rabbit hole before the moon took over—he wouldn’t want these hammering feelings of happiness to keep him from dreaming about the wonderland and its new wizard.

**Author's Note:**

> The magic tricks in this fic are modified from real ones, but the explanations of how they are performed are made up. Don't try them at home or you might get disappointed (or hurt yourself). The playing card and flower at the end also have a hidden meaning, not to mention all the rabbit references I tried to slip it.
> 
> I hope you found my characterizations of the characters plausible. They tend to vary between each AU, depending on the events the characters have gone through in the past. You can draw certain conclusions about those unworded past events by the way they react and think. I hope I delivered satisfactory, especially for you Errantknightess (whatever you put your mind into, keep going! I enjoy your Tumblr content!).
> 
> Hope my writing managed to crack a few smiles and leave a few question marks : )


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